Automobile.



l C. F. ROBIN.

AUTOMOBILE. APPLIGATION FILED 111211.11, 1910.

Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

unirsi) STATES Parana cierren.

` RODN, F SANA'FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMOBILE.

Specication of 'I'.etters Patent. i Patented 001;, 3, 1911, Application med April 1'1, 1910. serial No. 554,819.

To all whom it mayv conce-m: v

Be it known that I, CHARLES, F. Ronny,

acitizen of the United-States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automobiles, of

. which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automobile construction, and it consists in the mounting of the machine upon four pairs of independent bearing wheels, with means' .whereby said ywheelsmay beturned in uni` with `the body removed. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation, showing the spring mounting.

Fig. 3 is a view of steering shaft and rocker arms of different length, showing in 'dotted lines the angular line through their outer ends and the shaft axis;

It is the object of my invention-to. provide a-means for steering the machine inf which a number of pairs of bearing-wheels areemplOy-ed, and which' wheels may all be driven from a common motor; and also to provide a novel spring mounting for thel body of the machine.

As shown in the drawings, A is a chassis or frame of a motor vehicle, which in the" present case is shown to'be supported by four pairs of wheels, preferably grouped so. that twopairs-will be near the lfront,

xandtwo pairs near the rear end of the'n machine.

Between the wheel' axles gland the frame are Axed the supportingsprings. As shown these springs consistf'of an upper arched 'spring 4 having anattachment 4 clipped tothe frame -of the vehicle,` and the ends curved around into a C form, ,and this spring is here shown as extending substanl reverse direction having their tiallybeyond the outer peripheries of thewheels.

5 are intermediate springs arched in the centers clipped'to the wheel axles 3,u and the outer ends connected byl-inks or hangers 6 with the ends of the spring-4. Theinner ends of `thesprings 5 are connected with the frame of the vehicle at a point contiguous to the attachment 4 of the`upper spring 4 to the frame. This construction provides a very easy riding machine, andthe rear wheels oscillate about the attachment.

f The axles consist of exterior sleeves?v which arenon-revolublle, and interior revoluble shafts having bevel-gears contained within gear' casings 8, which casings contam the differential gears as 1s usual 1n such constructions, and not here shown. The

revoluble axles of the'rearmost wheels extend into the hubs of the wheels 9 which are at 11 so that when these wheels 10 are.

turned for the'purpose of steering the machine, power may still be transmittedto drive' them by reason of this universal joint. This oint may be made in any usual or suitable manner and inclosed in the casing as shown dirt.

It will be manifest that the steeringwheels must be turned to different angles in lorder to follow smoothly when turning to one side or the other. In the present case, the rearmost wheels -9 are the ones about which`the\turning takes place. The other wheels 10 and 10a are swiveled or turnable at 12, to prevent the admission of about the universal joints 11l by means of the usual steering knucklesso-called, and lever arms 13, and connectingrods 14. These rods and steering-knuckles are moved in unisonby means of a longitudinally journaled shaft 15, to one portion of which the i steering-gear 16 is. connected, "so that by turning the steeringfpost 17 by the usual hand-wheel, this shaft 15 will also be turned.

Upon this shaft 15 are fixed rocker-arms 18,

rods 14 are united in'such a manner that the, movement' of the rocker-arms/will actuate the rods 14 and the. levers 13 by which the wheels are turned.

' It will be seen that in order to properly lturn `about the rearmost wheels whiclrform `the temporary turning fulcrum, it will be' Iand to these rocker-arms thel connecting purposes, the wheels will always be proportionately turned so that each one will turn concentrically with relation to the others.

The peculiar spring mountingiof the two pairs of wheels at each end, allows a tilting or oscillating movement of these wheels about the intermediate attachment of the f springs so that as each pair of wheels pass over an irregularity, they may rise and fall without communicating the maximum movement, to this attachment and tothe vehicle frame, and the shocks are thus greatly I ,Y diminished.

shafts in unison, the rearl shaft having imvmovable bearings and having wheels fixed to its ends, the center of said wheel shaft being the radial point upon which the frame swings bodily, and the other shafts having jointed extensions to which the bearing wheels of said shafts are secured, rocker arms fixed to said jointed wheel shafts, a steering mechanism, a longitudinally journaled shaft turnable in unison with the steering wheel, rocker arms fixed to the longitudinal shaft and decreasing in length from the rontto the rear, and connecting rods between said shaft and the rocker arms of the turnable wheels, whereby said wheels may be proportionately turned independently of the rear pair of wheels.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. RODIN.

Witnesses s' y CHARLESv EDELMAN,

C. C. Coon. 

